When people think of getting visible six pack abdominal muscles, they normally think of cutting carbs in their diet.  Eliminating most breads, white pasta, white rice, processed foods & sugar is a substantial nutritional commitment necessary in the pursuit of six pack abs.  That being said, many people are surprised, if not shocked by the revelation that sweet potatoes are a GREAT nutritional choice if they are trying to burn body fat and get lean ripped abdominals.  More and more Hollywood stars are learning that the sweet potato is one of the best foods to burn abdominal fat and help them look their best before the camera.

 Sweet potatoes are a completely different vegetable than regular potatoes. 

They are not even in the same botanical family.  The sweet potato is high in fiber, loaded in valuable antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamins A & C, iron & calcium. Athletes cannot find SIX PACK SHORTCUTS without making better nutritional choices and changing old, flawed & self-defeating eating habits.  Remember, an average sweet potato is roughly 100 calories-and one of the best food choices that you can POSSIBLY make.

Despite the perceived misconception, & alluring name “sweet“, there is considerable evidence that sweet potatoes may be a beneficial food for diabetics, with initial studies on animals revealing that they help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance.

Another amazing sweet potato revelation is their ability to improve blood sugar regulation-even in people with Type- 2 diabetes.  In addition, sweet potatoes contain a valuable amount of dietary fiber and if boiled or steamed can carry a very stabilizing glycemic index (G I) rating of roughly 50, which explains their unusual & beneficial blood sugar regulating benefits.

OK—enough science.  I saved the best for last. Have you ever tried sweet potato fries? They are one of the best,  truly healthy, fat busting, abdominal defining snacks on the planet.  Here is a TIP if you like fried foods…Cut them into strips like a traditional French Fry—coat them in olive oil & bake them in the oven.  

Bet you never knew that baked sweet potato fries with olive oil are one of the best FAT BURNING food treats you could EVER eat—all the while providing incredible nutritional value.

WHO KNEW….?   Now You Do.

Did you know there are certain types of vegetables that contain a specific phytonutrient that actually helps your body eliminate abdominal fat?  Conversely, there are pesticide chemicals in our food supply & environment that can cause a hormone imbalance in both men and women. These chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can make your body cling to stubborn belly fat. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, & cabbage contain certain Phytonutrients that help fight against these harmful estrogenic compounds.  Eliminating these fat retaining chemicals can help your body shed excess fat covering your abdominal muscles.  Mom really knew what she was talking about when she told you to eat your vegetables.

There are so many abdominal toning & fat shredding tips at MIKE CHANG’S SIX PACK SHORTCUTS that will help you achieve your fitness goals. The difference between success & failure in your exercise program is scientifically proven knowledge-both in nutritional & high end workout expertise.

Specifically, these vegetables contain unique phytochemicals such as I3C (indole-3-carbinol) that actually help to deactivate the effects of fat retaining hormones in the body, and help to fight against the retention of stubborn belly fat.

A good tip is to include healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, avocados, or grass-fed cheese with these cruciferous vegetables because these healthy fats aid in the absorption of the nutrients from these vegetables.  Plus, these vegetables contain almost no calories, and are high in valuable fiber…so they help fill you up & you can eat as much as you want.   TIP—Cook them in olive oil—NOT butter.

It may seem like a “small detail”, but if done regularly, including cruciferous vegetables in your daily diet can help you burn stubborn stomach fat more effectively.  If you want to burn belly fat—these seemingly  ” little things” add up.

Another tip that you can incorporate on a daily basis to help you burn belly fat is—GREEN TEA..

Green Tea has not only been proven to aid your body in the burning of belly fat, but it will help reduce fat all over your body.   It has been proven that green tea is effective in helping to burn fat, increase metabolism, and is loaded in potent anti-oxidants.

The only downside is the caffeine, but Green Tea still has less than coffee and most other teas.  Personally, I like to drink it “strong” — and mix one bag of regular with a bag of de-caffeinated  several times a day for an added daily push.

These are daily habits that can help you get leaner—and boost your overall health.

Carbohydrates are both a vital necessity & a curse when it comes to creating a great toned, ripped physique.  They are instrumental in fueling your muscles and allowing them to recover from heavy training, but too many carbs will make it impossible for you to get lean & lose body fat.  Too many carbs during the course of your day will cause your body to produce too much insulin—which is imperative for muscle growth but also an inhibitor for your body to burn its own fat.  You want to greatly reduce your carb intake on days that are not “workout days”.

Remember—PROTEIN  BUILDS MUSCLE.  Whether you are building muscle mass or burning body fat, protein is the most important component in your diet.  The amino acids in protein are the building blocks your body uses to build & repair muscle after a workout.   Essentially, when you are eating meat, you are consuming an animal’s muscle to rebuild your own.

Most people don’t consume nearly enough vegetables.  It is especially essential when watching caloric intake– vegetables contain essential vitamins and vital minerals which you’re not going to be getting from your otherwise-limited food intake.   Vegetables like broccoli and spinach also contain nearly zero calories—yet are high in fiber…so you can eat as much of them as you want—as long as you are smart in the way you prepare them—lay off the butter—think olive oil. 

Too many people slash calories thinking they want to lose weight, forgetting that their body is remarkably adept at slowing its metabolism when it “thinks” it is being starved.  Short term weight loss will stop abruptly when the body slows its metabolic rate in an attempt to “save itself”.

You should strive to maintain a moderate, but steady rate of fat loss in your quest of six pack abdominals.  The best way to do that is to focus on losing a couple of pounds per week—and remember that you also need to keep your strength up.  If you start getting weaker as you lose weight, you’re going to lose vital muscle mass and work against everything you are striving for—plus you won’t have the energy to do your workouts.  Dietary shortcuts& starvation will defeat you.

Last, but certainly not least— Healthy fats don’t make you fat!  Eating “bad fat” does.    Healthy fat is an essential nutrient which is vital for your body’s maintaining proper hormone levels.  Eating healthy monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and even saturated fat is crucial for keeping your testosterone high and your metabolism burning at full, optimum speed.  If you really want the “wheels to come off your nutritional wagon”, and have nothing to show for all your hard work– go on a super restrictive, low-fat diet.  Your body won’t be happy—and neither will you.

Make sure to include healthy fats in your daily meal plan.  Use olive oil when you cook, and add nuts or avocados to your meals – and fatty fish like salmon or trout to your diet a couple times a week.  Not only are these fish great sources of protein, they are abundant in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to accelerate your fat loss.  Quality fish oil supplements are valuable additions too.

These are just some of the nutritional tips to be found in addition to invaluable workout and cardio coaching at MIKE CHANG’S SIX PACK SHORTCUTS.  The combination of scientifically proven nutrition, high intensity cardio and strength training will produce eye opening, visible changes in the evolution of your physique.

There is an old saying–” you are what you eat “. Without “cleaning up” your diet there is no such thing as a shortcut to six pack abdominals. When it comes to your fitness goal, this truth is irrefutable.   The key issue now is to lower your body fat for your abs to appear.  While you want to lower your body fat, you do not want to starve yourself.  BAD IDEA.  When you venture into a starvation diet you aren’t starving your body of fat, you are starving your body of precious lean muscle tissue.

What is one of the fundamentals to achieving six-pack abs?   Drum-roll please…You need to FEED your body quality food—and not quick, processed junk food.   You should eat some balanced nutrition (containing a protein and a carbohydrate) every three to four hours—schedule permitting. This speeds up your metabolism and nourishes your body.

Your food choices are the foundation of achieving your six pack abdominals goal. Food, and the way it is prepared not only fuels your body, but also gives you the energy to perform your gym workouts. Fiber rich food such as oatmeal, avocados, almonds and berries-strawberries, raspberries & blueberries are low in calories & high in nutrition. The way many of these foods are prepared either helps your healthy fitness pursuit or keeps you from achieving your goal. Oatmeal is a great morning food, rich in fiber & slow to digest-but avoid ruining its benefits with too much sugar. Almonds are a great snack, a high fiber food– but try to avoid the salted variety. If you are REALLY ready to get serious, start with cleaning up your nutritional intake.   It is the first step in getting six pack abs. These are just a few of the beginning fundamental issues discussed at MIKE CHANG’S SIX PACK SHORTCUTS.

Remember, when your body must feed off its own muscle mass due to self-imposed starvation, your metabolism dramatically SLOWS—and is utterly self- defeating.   This metabolic downgrade leads you to even more stored body fat.

Drink at least eight – ten ( 12 ) ounce glasses of water with and between meals. The more water you drink, the more toxins, fat, and sodium you are able to flush out.

Starving yourself is not the answer to lean, ripped six-pack abdominals—it “cannibalizes” muscle and encourages your body to stubbornly cling to body fat.

You’ve decided you want to begin a workout program.  Perhaps your goal is to fulfill a New Year’s resolution and get in the kind of shape you have always wanted.  Never forget that the little things mean a lot.  There is nothing more frustrating than a needless, careless & unnecessary sports injury.  It’s a complete momentum KILLER.  Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but more times than not, you can look back and pinpoint the reason why.  If you have to STOP your workouts altogether to heal, you’ll wish you had taken the time to be smart.

Do yourself a favor and take the time to warm up properly, and especially at the beginning, ease into your workout regimen.  Take the few minutes necessary to prepare your body to workout.  Boring you say….?  Well—It beats the hell out of pulling a muscle, staining a ligament or popping a tendon and kissing your ass goodbye for a prolonged stretch to heal.  Stupid, preventable injury is your workout mortal enemy.  Proper stretching, a few minutes of jumping rope and warming up your joints with lighter weights at the beginning of your workout is a small price to pay to keep you from a preventable sports injury.

This isn’t a scintillating & glamorous topic—just a vital fundamental habit that will keep you consistently on the right path.

I’m passionate about the issue because years ago—I had to learn the HARD WAY—because I was STUPID.  I was a legend in my own mind—and indestructible.  I badly strained a tendon in my elbow from rushing into a workout—and the injury plagued me for months—never fully healed for nearly SIX MONTHS…and in the long run cost me months of training…because I thought I was “too smart” to take 5 minutes to warm up properly.  Trust me—that 5 minutes wasn’t worth the 5+ months I missed in the gym—and it was all because I was STUPID—and careless.

There’s an old saying—A smart man learns from his mistakes—A GENIUS learns from someone else’s mistakes.

Be smart—take those 5 minutes to prepare for your workout.

You can’t see me, but I just stepped down off my soapbox.  Sermon over.

TRAIN HARD –AND SMART.

Cardiovascular training is routinely mentioned as a key element to burning body fat and getting six pack abdominal muscles. Go into any gym & you will likely gaze upon rows of traditional, low intensity cardio machines that are time consuming-and monotonous. When someone combines a lackluster, boring work out program with ho-hum results-over the long haul, most people just eventually quit.  It is epidemic.   Fitness success involves a lifestyle change. The downfall of the average six pack abs workout is that people are unwittingly stuck in low intensity cardio programs that burn calories DURING the workout, but very little AFTER the workout is over. MIKE CHANG’S SIX PACK SHORTCUTS incorporates proven scientific principles to help your body burn calories not only during your workout-but up to 48 hours afterwards. It is this workout AFTERBURN effect that allows you to consistently consume calories & BURN your abdominal fat. This proven, fat consuming AFTERBURN effect, mixed with the right dietary principles is the key to helping you reach your fitness goal.

Unless you are in phenomenal condition when you start the SIX PACK SHORTCUTS, you better ease your way into this regimen.  Think of it as going thru the gears, driving a stick shift in a sports car.  Jump into this program in “4^th gear” and you’ll be sorry—and likely injured.  Getting cut, ripped, six pack abs is a nutritional overhaul & workout “project”—and not achieved with a quick fix pill or trendy 10 minute workout.  The GREAT NEWS is that there is a solution—and you’ll have to work for it.  Mike Chang walks you thru the beginning of the process with fundamentals that you will NOT employ long term—like easing into the program for a few weeks with 5 to 6 per week “entry workouts” to prepare your body for what is to come.  He leaves nothing to chance.  If you’re SERIOUS about finally getting ripped;  and tired of half- truths & misinformation this program delivers.

Don’t spend your hard earned money if you’re not dedicated to defeating the obstacles that  have kept you from the body you’ve always wanted – BUT if you’re ready to get your PHD in true body & nutritional transformation you should be VERY excited. 

Did you pay attention the last time you went to the supermarket and picked up a one pound package of hamburger?  It really doesn’t seem like very much.  Imagine smearing that same pound of hamburger on your stomach & around your waist.  JUST ONE POUND.   The thought isn’t very appetizing,  but I wanted to make the point that if you are trying to lose POUNDS of body fat, you need to learn how to “burn it off”.  Too often people think of trying to starve it off—and instead they lose vital muscle in the process.  Scientific study tells us that you need to BURN 3,500 calories for your body to lose a pound of fat.  There is a scientific study that suggests it would take 7 hours of jogging, 7 days a week to lose ONE POUND of body fat.

Here is a FACT:  When you don’t eat enough calories, your body will break down stored fat to use as energy. However, when you go off your diet and start to eat normally again, you’ll gain all that weight back—with a vengeance.   This occurs because depriving yourself of necessary daily calories puts you in a physical “starvation –survival mode.”   Your body ”thinks” there isn’t enough food available and that you’re starving—and in danger.  The real kicker is when you go off your diet, your body overcompensates –and will store even more fat in reserve against future lean periods.   What’s worse, you’ll also be more likely to overeat during this period.   DOUBLE  WHAMMY.

To lose weight safely, lose a little at a time; two or three pounds a week is ideal. SLOW & STEADY REALLY IS THE BEST WAY.  Don’t deprive yourself of food, and eat at least 1,200 calories per day.

Here’s another FACT:    How many times have you seen products guaranteeing weight loss in just five to  ten minutes a day?  There are even exercise machines that calculate the number of calories you’ve burned from the time you turn them on.  You’ve GOT to be kidding.  The reality is– your body won’t burn stored reserves of energy, or fat, unless it feels the NEED to. When you exercise for only a few minutes, you’re not burning stored body fat for energy;  you’re using energy from the food you ate that day.  Your body DOES NOT begin to burn the energy stored in your fat cells until your other fuel resources are depleted.

The body DOES NOT begin to break down your fat cells for energy until you’ve been exercising for at least twenty minutes.

If you have tried and failed to get six pack abdominal muscles, MIKE CHANG’S SIX PACK SHORTCUTS should be of interest to you.  You have to combine high intensity cardio, strength training & “clean” nutritional principles to burn body fat, build lean muscle & kick your metabolism into consistent OVERDRIVE.    If you want to achieve your goal & get a different result, you have to stop making the same nutritional & workout mistakes that have defeated you in the past.  SIX PACK SHORTCUTS  is based on scientifically proven workout & nutritional principles – If you want the breakthrough you’ve been looking for,  you need to employ all of these principles at one time—on a consistent basis—realizing that it takes time to change your body into what you have envisioned.  Specific, detailed knowledge is POWER—and that knowledge, put into action is the difference between changing your body’s appearance and spinning your wheels.  Stay dedicated to your routine–it takes months to visibly transform your body after years of ineffective training habits and self defeating nutrition–but the program TRULY works if you train hard & follow and the nutritional guidelines. 

When people start a workout program it can feel like a big mountain to climb.  Taking the first step can be difficult because when you start, you have no momentum.  At the very beginning, if you can eliminate the b-i-g mistakes, you can start to create success—and there is nothing like seeing results from your early efforts.

You don’t have to be perfect at the beginning…just eliminate the big, common stumbling blocks that defeat any dietary & workout program.  Start with BASIC STUFF.

You have to start somewhere—and the best place to begin is with your diet.

Missing breakfast  /  skipping meals  /  eating  late  / processed foods  / high sugar intake  /  Inadequate hydration /  lack of sleep  / potatoes-white rice-bread (simple carbs )–fatty foods – too much alcohol

Just addressing these simple, very basic pitfalls is a good first step to get you started on your way.

It can be overwhelming at the beginning if you feel like you have to everything right.

At the beginning,  just making these basic changes can give you a solid start in the right direction.

You need to create initial momentum—this will get you started.

People are often surprised by the results they see JUST by making these simple, basic fundamental changes in dietary habits that have become ingrained,  bad fitness habits.

Take the FIRST STEP—the average person makes so many careless mistakes that have become habitual.  Just eliminating these basic…obvious nutritional errors will give you some momentum.

When you mix in scientifically proven cardio principles & weight training—you’re on your way to a new body.   Your journey starts with a first step—JUST focus on these fundamental basic steps at the beginning to start your momentum.  You’ll be surprised at the progress that can be made by eliminating these BIG, common fitness errors—Take the FIRST step—get started today.

I don’t know how your schedule is, but for me, each day at the gym allows me a different amount of time.  Some days I only have 45 minutes, other days allow me over an hour–but as a general rule I like to get in & out in roughly an hour.

Today I had an hour and 10 minutes to get from my car, to the gym & back to my car.

After I went up to the roof & did my jump rope and cardio, I had a real heavy sweat going.  Then it was back downstairs to the gym & weights, and the ever present clock.  At that point I had 37 minutes before I had to hoof it back to my car—and beat the dreaded meter maid.

I made it a point to push as much activity, with as little rest as possible—as the clock rolled toward my 5:00pm deadline.  My MINDSET was from exercise to exercise, station to station—P U S H !    I knew the areas I wanted to hit, and if somebody was working with a set of weights or at station I wanted to use—I did another exercise—knowing I would come back to it—but the MINDSET was to relentlessly  P U S H !   

It’s funny how the brain works—how I would inadvertently look up at the clock, but my mind went right back to that maniacal          P U S H –  KEEP GOING—DON’T LET UP—P U S H !!

I hit exercise after exercise, set after set—would look up at the clock—P U S H !  I knew before long my time would be up—but I didn’t want to be cheated…P U S H !! 

Fifteen minutes left, then ten—as I got closer I pushed harder….I knew I was on a tight schedule—I was NOT gonna be cheated—     P U S H !   Literally with one minute to go, I wanted to finish STRONG—I was SOOO CLOSE to finishing what I wanted to do—and I PUSHED that last set—to failure—SPENT!

It was so cool seeing what I had accomplished—I pushed an hour and fifteen minute workout into an hour…keeping proper form constant thruout the process. 

The best part was—I got “in” and “out” —and on with my day.  The endorphin rush was intense.

Even better was the people I saw when I got to the gym were still there when I left—and I was drenched—WAY beyond ANYBODY that was still there when I left.  The reality is I got in a better hardcore workout than they did–and I did it in less time.

Point is—when you go to the gym—FOCUS on a wicked pace—never compromise form–with as little rest as you can.  All the while you can look at the clock ( it’s human nature) just as long as you NEVER let go of that inner drive—that  intense P U S H…

There are a lot of good workouts out there…some better than others…but only you can bring the resolve, the drive, and that laser beam P-U-S-H.  Get in, get out…make it fun, challenge yourself.

Above all never lose that inner drive-that magical invisible  P- U –S- H.

Today I’m going to keep it short & to the point.  Everyone has scheduling challenges when it comes to getting in great shape. The same challenges exist when you’re trying to stay in top shape.

L-o-n-g,  b-o-r-i-n-g  workouts not only produce disappointing results, they rob you of your emotional energy.  What’s worse is that they subconsciously sap you of your long term desire –the kiss of death for a workout regimen.  If you can’t “stick with the program”—let’s face it — you’re toast.

If your workouts have become a chore, it is just a matter of time until your brain finds a way to avoid the drudgery, and quit.  Your brain is very resourceful in finding ways to avoid perceived “pain”.

Staying in good physical shape ultimately has to be somewhat enjoyable, something you don’t dread.

Switch up your cardio routines, do different things, cross train—keep the intensity high, that way the time “commitment” can be much lower.  Get in–& get out—and get on with your life…

If you are seeking both an edge AND a jolt to your workouts, you can find it at SIX PACK SHORTCUTS.

If you’ve been putting in the time, but not getting the desired results-you need a coach to show you what to do, and what NOT to do. Let’s face it—working out isn’t fun if you’re not seeing results.

There are reasons you didn’t get six pack abs in the past—the wrong types of cardio, ineffective strength training & likely MANY nutritional mistakes.   With the right coaching, an easy to follow, highly effective nutritional program & scientifically proven workouts, this time your results can be different.